Smidi Beats feat. Angie La Spina [2024] - I'll Say It Again / What about Us [Self Released]

We've come across several releases by Smidi Beats over recent months. Many are a bit hit and miss, but this one stood out. A bit of digging uncovered that the song was released by Angie La Spina in Apr 2016 as "I Said It Before" and sounds very similar and has the same running time, so a reissue or a remix? Judge for yourself as we found the original on YouTube (below).

Angie is from Nevada and the video states that it was the second single from a forthcoming album "Why Not Us" which we can find no trace of, although it was the title of the first single in Dec 2015 and is quite a nice stepper (also included below).  Curiously, it has also been released as Smidi Beats feat. Angie La Spina with the amended title "What about Us".

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Details

Rating:	8.4
Explicit:	N
Genre/Style:	New Soul / Reissue?
Format:	Single
Media:	Digital
Label:	Self Released
Cat No:	None
Date:	12/04/2024
Key/BPM:	8B/74 / 12A/84
Price:	£1

Copyright © 2009-2024 SoulStrutter All Rights Reserved

LaTasha Lee & The Black Ties [2024] - LaTasha Lee & The Black Ties [Self Released] (Full Album)

Last week LaTasha Lee released an album of 14 songs, "Compositions of LaTasha Lee & Salih Williams", recorded between 2014 - 2021. All but the last two songs had been posted on YouTube but, as we've discovered over the years, much of her material hasn't been available to download, so perhaps this album represents their first 'official' release?

This week she appears to have digitally reissued her debut album "LaTasha Lee & The Black Ties" from 2014 which contains another 14 songs.

As with last week's album it's very retro, early 60s / doo-wop, oriented. A couple of songs have a reggae feel: "Heart Breaker", "Loving One Another" and "Left Hand Side (which seems to borrow from "Pass The Dutchie") and is our pick from the album. A couple of songs utilise samples;  "Crazy" (Temptations' "My Girl"), "Get Away" (Neil Sedaka's "Oh Carol").

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Details

Rating:	7.8
Explicit:	N
Genre/Style:	Retro Soul
Format:	Album / Reissue
Media:	Digital
Label:	Self Released
Cat No:	None
Date:	16/02/2024 (24/08/2014)
Price:	£7.89

Copyright © 2009-2024 SoulStrutter All Rights Reserved

Dwayne Scivally [2023] - Point Of No Return / So Good [Izipho Soul #ZP97]

At the end of last year Dwayne Scivally released his second, Thomas Gee produced, album "Soul Chapter II". Both albums ("Soul Of Nashville" and "Soul Chapter II") were initially only available on vinyl but in March this year they were combined on a CD release.

Izipho Soul selected a track from each ("Let Me So" / "Is It Me") for 7" vinyl release in April. They have now chosen two tracks ("Point Of No Return" and "So Good") from his first album "Stay Until the Morning" which was released in 2016 and is now as rare as hen's teeth.

The limited edition single is available to pre-order from Izipho Soul for release on Friday (22 Sep). An essential purchase (if you don't own the album) as just try finding the album on the interweb!

In addition, Thomas Gee has announced a third album he has arranged and produced for Dwayne which will be available soon on CD. We are awaiting further details and will post in due course.

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IZIPHO SOUL · POINT OF NO RETURN - DWAYNE SCIVALLY

IZIPHO SOUL · SO GOOD - DWAYNE SCIVALLY

Details

Rating:	8.6
Explicit:	N
Genre/Style:	Modern Soul
Format:	Single
Media:	7" Vinyl
Label:	Izipho Soul
Cat No:	ZP97
Date:	22/09/2023
Key/BPM:	N/A
Price:	£13

Copyright © 2009-2023 SoulStrutter All Rights Reserved

John Edwards [2018] - Walls That Separate Our Love [Deep Soul #07]

A 1973 deep soul recording by ex Spinner John Edwards, "Walls That Separate Our Love", first appeared on a Kent CD compilation "Good Guys Don't Always Win (Hotlanta Soul)" in 1998. It took another 20 years for it to be issued on 7" vinyl for the first time on Kent's Deep Soul label in 2018.

There are several other previously unreleased gems on the compilation (compiled by Ady Croasdel and John Ridley (SirShambling)) which is well worth picking up.

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Details

Rating:	9
Explicit:	N
Genre/Style:	Deep Soul
Format:	Single
Media:	7" Vinyl
Label:	Deep Soul
Cat No:	07
Date:	2018
Key/BPM:	12B/63
Price:	£10.88

Copyright © 2009-2023 SoulStrutter All Rights Reserved

Richard Hartley & Soul Resurrection [2023] - Jesus Makes Me Happy / Heart And Soul [Izipho Soul #ZP099]

Izipho Soul has only announced their next release a few hours ago and we're told that they are flying out of the door. It's not surprising when you realise that they are two tracks from a very hard to find 2007 album "Face II Face" by Richard Hartley & Soul Resurrection and also that the label is offering them for only £10!

Whilst the CD album is listed on Discogs, there are no cover images, no label listed and none have ever sold there. A Google search also turned up zero, so this album is certainly a rarity and more than likely a private/self release.

The selected tracks, suggested by Phil 'Phillet Of Soul' Ward, are "Jesus Makes Me Happy" and "Heart And Soul". Don't be fooled by the title of the first as it's a modern soul banger whIch has been edited by Phil as "The Joyful Exaltation Edit". 

Whilst the flip starts off as a more laid back and mellow affair, it builds into a crescendo of deep soulfulness, as Izipho Soul headboy Pat Biggerstaff puts it "a ballad of epic proportions that builds and builds with the finale possessing some of the most gut wrenching vocals you are ever likely to hear. Richard states towards the end that ‘I should be fading right now’, but finds the strength to come back one more time!"

Richard Hartley has had a prolific career as a singer and musical director (whom we've previously featured on a couple of occasions), travelling across the world to work with choirs and musical icons such as Aretha Franklin and Diana Ross. He is pastor at Haven International Ministries, New York and star of his own reality television show ‘The Rev’. He released a single titled "Highway" in Jan '21.

As well as "Face II Face" in 2007, he released "Love Is All We Need" in 2003 and prior to that a live gospel album recorded in Japan "Lovepower Live In Tokyo" in  2002.

The single is available to pre-order now from Izipho Soul for official release on 18 Aug, but as mentioned above, they are sailing out so you will need act quickly to secure one as it looks like they will sell out on pre-order alone.

UPDATE We received scans of the "Face II Face" CD with thanks from Thierry Boulanger and included the front cover image below.

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IZIPHO SOUL · JESUS MAKES ME HAPPY - RICHARD HARTLEY

IZIPHO SOUL · HEART AND SOUL - RICHARD HARTLEY

Details

Rating:	8.8
Explicit:	N
Genre/Style:	Modern Soul / Deep Soul
Format:	Single
Media:	7" Vinyl
Label:	Izipho Soul
Cat No:	ZP099
Date:	04/08/2023
Key/BPM:	N/A
Price:	£10

Copyright © 2009-2023 SoulStrutter All Rights Reserved

Erica Falls [2019] - It Ain't No Use [MunckMix] LIVE MUSIC VIDEO

By chance we came across this video of Erica Falls, the lady of the moment with her new single "Up", our selection of the week, which is getting a lot of attention.

A few things piqued our interest. Firstly we couldn't find the song "It Ain't No Use" on digital platforms but it was included on her 2019 live album "Recorded Live At The 2019 New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival" which is available to buy on CD and digital formats from MunckMix direct. 

It's a cover of The Meters' song from their 1974 "Rejuvenation" album. The Meters of course were also from The Crescent City (New Orleans). There are so many connections on this one that we could end up tied in knots, but two of the members were Art and Cyril Neville who were brothers of Aaron Neville (who later formed The Neville Brothers with another two brothers Ivan and Charles). The Meters were the house band for Allen Toussaint's Sansu Records and are often considered the originators of funk along with James Brown. 

Secondly the caption at the start of the video which was filmed at Loyola University New Orleans as it reminded us of an album we posted last week "4 The Culture Vol. 1: Gold Edition (R&B)" billed as Loyola University New Orleans which may have deterred some from listening but there are a few nice tracks on it.

Finally, the recording features, New Orleans based, Japanese guitarist June Yamagishi who recorded an album "My Pleasure" featuring Bobby Womack in 1988. The album included a 12:47 minute long version of "Trust Your Heart" (from Womack's 1978 album "Pieces") retitled "Give This Love A Try". Womack's album version was only 3:56 and a 12" version of it 5:18. A cut down version was issued on the vinyl release of "My Pleasure" (approx. 5:57).

Another track from the album "I'll Come Running Back To You" featured on Luxury Soul 2012 compilation.

We'll post both versions separately in another post so as not to confuse things. Posted HERE

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Details

Rating:	7.8
Explicit:	N
Genre/Style:	New Soul / Funk
Format:	Video
Media:	Video
Label:	MunckMix
Cat No:	None
Date:	2019
Key/BPM:	N/A
Price:	£1

Copyright © 2009-2023 SoulStrutter All Rights Reserved

Carl Hall [2023] - You Don't Know Nothing About Love: The Loma/Atlantic Recordings 1967-1972 [Warner Music Group] (Full Album)

A compilation of recordings by Carl Hall "You Don't Know Nothing About Love: The Loma/Atlantic Recordings 1967-1972" from his period at Loma and Atlantic has been reissued on CD, although not available digitally. It was originally released in 2015 by Ominivore.

Hall released six singles on Mercury between 1964-66 before joining Loma for two singles in 1967-68 followed by just the one single released on Atlantic. The compilation  includes both sides of the three singles along with another thirteen unreleased tracks which includes alternate takes of four of the songs.

Hall was born Carl Henry Caldwell in Pittsburgh, PA in 1934 and began singing in church and joined Ohio based The Raspberry Singers and became their lead singer by the time they released their first single on Vee Jay in 1954. He left the group when drafted into military service and when demobbed in 1962 began his solo career. 

His first couple of singles were covers released as C. Henry Hall  and Carl Henry Hall on Mercury . His third Mercury single was produced by Gene Redd and Quincy Jones. Two of his further singes were produced by Lou Courtney and the other by George Kerr before he met Jerry Ragavoy. 

Ragavoy, impressed by his four octave range, secured him a contract with Warners Bros. imprint Loma where the flip side of his first single is a Northern Soul in-demander "Mean It Baby" but is probably now more sought after for the killer deep soul official A side "You Don't Know Nothing About Love". One more single was released by Loma before it went bust: "I Don't Want to Be Your Used to Be" / "The Dam Busted".

Despite the lack of success on any of his singles so far, Ragovoy stuck with Hall for his next release "Need Somebody To Love" / "Change With The Seasons" on Atlantic in 1972 which also failed to make any commercial impact.

Although, unfortunately  not on this compilation as it was released by Columbia in 1973, one of his most sought after recording is "What About You" (included below). Only one further single is listed for him, a house/dance song "I Just Love Makin' Love" in 1987, which we're not entirely convinced is the same artist as it is completely out of kilter with other releases.

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Details

Rating:	8.4
Explicit:	N
Genre/Style:	Northern Soul / Deep Soul
Format:	Album / Compilation
Media:	CD
Label:	Warner Music Group
Cat No:	None
Date:	19/05/2023
Price:	£9.61

Copyright © 2009-2023 SoulStrutter All Rights Reserved

Brooklyn Funk Essentials [2019/2015] - Watcha Want From Me / Blast It! [Dorado Records]

Whilst looking for videos from the new Brooklyn Funk Essentials album "Intuition" we came across a couple from their previous two albums not released as singles. So if you missed them first time around, then here they are.

The first is "Watcha Want From Me" from "Stay Good" featuring the lead vocals of Alison Limerick and Desmond Foster. The song is a re-make of "Whadda U Want (From Me)" from Frankie Knuckles' "Welcome To The Real World" album (1995) that featured Adeva on lead vocals.

The other is "Blast It!" from "Funk Ain't Ova" (2015) featuring vocals from Stephanie McKay, and Desmond Foster.

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Details

Rating:	8.5
Explicit:	N
Genre/Style:	Acid Jazz
Format:	Album Tracks
Media:	Digital
Label:	Dorado Records
Cat No:	None
Date:	2019/2015
Key/BPM:	4A/120 / 8B/112
Price:	£1 / £1

Copyright © 2009-2023 SoulStrutter All Rights Reserved